Val Lumnezia, Alpine valley in Grisons, Switzerland
Val Lumnezia is a mountain valley in the canton of Grisons, running southwest from the town of Ilanz and taking in thirteen separate communities. The slopes are covered with forest and alpine pastures, while stone buildings and narrow roads connect the scattered villages along the valley floor and hillsides.
The valley shows signs of human presence going back to the Neolithic, with rock carvings near Crap da Treis Siarps linked to ancient burial places. Over the following centuries, farming communities settled the slopes and maintained a way of life that shaped the villages still visible today.
Val Lumnezia belongs to the Romansh-speaking part of Switzerland, and the language is visible everywhere in the villages, from road signs to house names and shop fronts. This makes walking through the settlements feel noticeably different from other Swiss valleys where German or French dominate.
The valley is reached from Ilanz and offers skiing near Vella Sumsiaras in winter, with marked hiking trails open through the warmer months. Trails are generally well signposted, and visiting from May to October gives the best chance of walking the higher routes when conditions are good.
The village of Vrin, at the upper end of the valley, received a prize in 1998 for keeping its old stone buildings and refusing to allow new structures that would break with the traditional look of the settlement. Walking through Vrin today, it is hard to spot anything that looks recently built.
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